Australian police seize record 2.7 tonnes of cocaine

In a major operation last week, Australian law enforcement seized what is believed to be the largest cocaine haul in the nation's history. The discovery of 2.7 tonnes of the drug was announced by police on Monday, following a raid on Friday, June 19, at a semi-rural property in Londonderry, on the northwestern outskirts of Sydney.

Police said the cocaine was hidden in plastic tubs buried in underground bunkers beneath false floors of shipping containers on the property. Officials estimate the seizure has a potential street value of approximately 816 million Australian dollars, which they said is equivalent to roughly three million individual street-level deals.

Two men, aged 21 and 25, were arrested at the scene. Police said they attempted to flee officers on foot. Both men were charged with possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. They were refused bail at a court appearance on Saturday, June 20, and are scheduled to appear again at Penrith Local Court on August 13.

The seizure is the most significant find of Operation Minjiang, a joint task force involving the Australian...